


The Language of Flowers

by marquis1305



Category: Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age II
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Flower Shop, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Professors, Angst with a Happy Ending, Fluff, Hawke's Beard (Dragon Age), Language of Flowers, Leandra Hawke Dies, Light Angst, M/M, POV First Person, Varric Tethras' Chest Hair, a gift, mentions of funeral
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-14
Updated: 2019-08-14
Packaged: 2020-08-23 19:13:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,127
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20247907
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/marquis1305/pseuds/marquis1305
Summary: Leandra has passed, and Hawke has to prepare himself for her funeral. Little did he know that more than one thing would change that day, and he would find a small bright spot in the most unexpected of places.





	The Language of Flowers

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Le-Mooon](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=Le-Mooon).

The funeral was this evening. I had taken the time to tidy my ever unruly hair, as much as it could be tidied. The lines of my black silk suit stark and neat, mother would have been proud. 

Even as she would have hated the Kaddis that I smeared over the bridge of my nose. She had always hated it, said it made me look too much like a dog lord.    


Say that the to mabari at my side. 

Maybe she had a point.

I shifted the sunglasses on my face as I headed for the door, a cup of coffee in my hand. I just needed to stop by the office to drop off the papers that I had graded last night. It didn’t matter that the head of my department had told me to take the week off, those kids were counting on that grade to be entered. I hated letting anyone down. Especially them. Especially after mother…

The walk was an easy one. I lived on campus after all, the professor pads weren’t too terrible, and the rent was cheaper than anything else in Kirkwall. Dragon padded along beside me, tongue lolling as he obviously considered the weight that the day held. Meaning he was looking at the young man kneeling on the sidewalk and slipping something that might have been a tuna sandwich to a stray cat. 

Or more to the point he was looking at the sandwich. 

Maybe I was the one looking at the young man. 

It took a moment before I could gather up the breath to whistle and get Dragon’s attention, forcing myself to tear my gaze away. We had things to do. Now wasn’t the time for my head to wander. No matter how much nicer it would have been to let my thoughts linger on the way the man wore his jacket, or the way that the raven feathered lining of the hood contrasted with golden wheat colored hair, or how honey colored eyes beamed with affection down at the tabby. 

I cleared my throat as we passed him, keeping my head down. My gaze on my shoes. Watching as I put one foot in front of the other. Watching each step that brought me closer to saying goodbye to the woman that raised me. That praised me each and every time I brought home some certificate of achievement. Who scolded me for staying out too late with my latest fling, or for sneaking out with the Bethany and Carver to get them drunk for the first time at my high school graduation.

To the woman who had loved each of us more than life itself, especially after we had lost dad.

Time blurred, and suddenly I was standing in my office. Fading into focus on the leather carrier bag as I took it off my shoulder. Pulling out the stack of graded papers to leave on my desk, Merrill would make certain that those were passed out during class. 

She was a good bean.

And if she forgot, then Varric would probably remember, considering that half the lesson plan I had left to help him sub for me was going over those papers. Of course he was just as likely to get distracted by the telling of some story or another. 

Well, there was always class next week to properly go over them. The funeral wouldn’t last forever. Even if it felt like it would. 

I slipped a finger into the tie about my neck, trying to tug it just loose enough that I would be able to breathe again. Swallowing past the sudden tightness of my throat. The raw pressure building behind my eyes.

It had been like this since I had gotten the phone call from the sheriff’s office. The way that everything would just bulldoze over me at once. 

And then the way that it would rush over me like a wave, calm waters on the other side before the next build. I rode it out, gripping the edge of the desk tightly. Dragon pressing his weight into my hip. It was his warmth that calmed me. The soft whines that brought my attention of the crashing sound at my ears. Lifting a hand slowly to scratch along his head. Letting him know that I was alright again.

Best idea that Aveline had ever had, emotional support Mabari. Got Dragon certified the next day, so he could stay on campus with me. Something to do with ptsd and anxiety attacks, and how his mutt nose could sniff out the symptoms, calm me before they happened most of the time. 

Or bring me out of it, like now. 

Smiling down at Dragon, I nodded, then moved to lock my carrier bag into my desk. Only pulling out my wallet and keys, I wouldn’t need the rest of it for the next few days, and not having it in my apartment would help keep my mind off work. I hoped. 

The walk off campus was much more difficult. I would be arriving early, I had to. Greeting everyone, accepting condolences. Bethany and Carver wouldn’t make it from the airport until later, and I was expected to pick them up. Luckily they were sharing a hotel suite, so I wouldn’t have to deal with Carver’s endless bickering, or Bethany’s tears. 

I was a shitty older brother sometimes. But right now I barely had the strength to keep moving. 

Dragon’s barking drew me once more from my brooding. Turning my gaze up to see the same tabby from earlier. Or it looked like it. The coloring was similar. My brow furrowed as I glanced around. We were near the university’s shop center, which was as quietly thrumming with life as usual. A few simple stores lined either side of the street. A coffee shop that was more tempting than it should have been; yet another used book store; a grocery store; and on the very corner of the street, a small flower boutique. 

The tabby was curled up near the door, looking rather unperturbed by the foot traffic that passed it by. Not entirely unusual for the cats that thought they owned the campus, but to see it twice in just a few hours…

With a heavy sigh, I gave into the urge. 

I needed flowers for today anyways, just thought I would end up buying them later on. Well, no time like the present. 

Dragon stayed close to me as we approached the shoppe, though I could feel the way he would occasionally twitch at the thought of a cat chase. But he was too well trained to just go bolting off, thankfully. I gave him the command to stay outside, making sure he was on the opposite side of the door of the cat. Watching carefully as he laid down, gaze locked onto the stray. 

The sound of a bell tinkling warned any inside of their imminent doom with my arrival.

A pair of honey colored eyes glancing up from the counter had me stopping in my tracks. Blinking as I tried to convince myself that I hadn’t had a complete mental break down and started hallucinating overly attractive men.

His hair was half pulled up into a bun to keep it from his face while he worked, jacket exchanged for a green grocer’s apron, which exposed the white button up I hadn’t had the chance to notice earlier. A daisy tucked just behind his ear on one side. 

He was half bent over the start of a flower basket of some kind, and obviously waiting for me to say something as I attempted to shake myself from my sudden stupor. 

“I ah… flowers!” I blurted out, trying to say anything that would break the silence.

“Yes, I do believe that we sell those here.” His lips quirked up in a wry smile that had me seeing stars. “Was there any particular flower? Or will any of them do?”

I let out a surprised laugh, feeling more at ease for the joke. Clearing my throat as I ran a hand through my hair. “I was looking for a bouquet actually.”

“Is it for any particular occasion? Are we talking ‘romantic first date’ bouquet, or ‘I’m sorry I forgot our anniversary again, please don’t make me sleep on the couch again’ type bouquet?” The quip coming as easily to his lips as the smile had before it. 

“Actually, it’s for my mom.”

He blinked, caught slightly off guard with the answer before he was standing straighter, wiping his hands clean on his apron. “Oh… well, we’ve got a few bouquets of daisies that are always popular. A few yellow roses. Is there anything in particular that she prefers?”

I chuckle softly, shrugging. “She always had a thing for white lilies.”

“Hmm.” He pauses, lips pursing slightly as he heads over to the computer tucked on a back desk. Drawing me further into the room, wanting to keep him in my eyeline. I am a terrible person, and I know it. But he is just… “Well, lillies aren’t really in season right now, we have a few from the greenhouse, but the price has gone up because of it. I don’t have enough for a full bouquet either, but I can make an arrangement if you don’t mind a few other flowers mixed in.”

Pulling out my wallet, I gently toss a card onto the counter. “Anything you can manage, thank you. She just deserves something special.” 

He raises a single brow before nodding. Heading towards one of the refrigeration units. “I have to ask, but you seem really familiar. I’m fairly certain I haven’t seen you in the shop before though.”

“I’m an anthropology professor at the university, you may have sat in on a class or two?” My gaze follows his movements, seemingly unable to tear myself from this magnetic attraction. 

“Right! Fenris had your class a few times, my roommate. I went with him now and then. I remember thinking you were too attractive to teach something as stuffy as anthropology.” A bright peal of laughter fills the room. 

The blush that stained my cheeks was likely bright enough to be used as a lighthouse for lost ships at the harbor. To which my immediate reaction was to turn my attention to the roses that were set up by color. Running my fingers over their petals as gently as I could. 

“Maker.” Forcing myself to snort a laugh. “If you think I am, you should meet Varric. I can say for a fact that we have witnessed women quite literally swoon for his chest hair.”

“Always been a fan of facial hair myself. But beard burn is much more difficult to swoon over.” I could almost hear the wiggling of his eyebrows. I wasn’t sure if the groan that slipped through my lips was entirely due to the terribleness of the joke. At the very least I could pretend that it was and hope he hadn’t noticed. 

“Maker’s ballsack… Right, well…” Chuckling and clearing my throat before glancing over my shoulder. Catching sight of him starting to trim the stems of the flowers he had picked out. Wetting my lips before I was heading back to the counter. “Not really sure I have a counter to that, but it might make Varric cry. Considering how much we all tease him that his beard fell off and stuck to his chest instead.”

His lips pulled up into the most brilliant smile. Laughter following soon after. “Oh… Oh no… I have to tell Fenris that one… He’s going to die…”

Chuckling along with his mirth was easy. It was infectious, how bright he was, how easy the conversation was. 

“Alright so this is going to be fifty gold.” Offering the bouquet over, a beautiful mixture of white lilies, red roses, baby’s breath, pink wax flowers, and greens for filler. 

I suddenly felt reality come crashing down on me. Right, this is why I had been here. Not for the cute guy. “Just put it on the card. Thank you. I know that she’ll love this.” 

Taking the card, he rung everything up. Then handing it and the receipt to me. Allowing me a moment to tuck it away before presenting the bouquet. “Well, I hope you and your mom have a good evening.”

“We usually do.” I offered a smile as I tucked the bouquet into the crook of my arms. “Have a good one then.” Waving as I weaved my way back out of the store, Dragon popping up immediately from where he had sat to follow me. 

I had to say, at least this had been a bright spot in a rather overcast day.

**Author's Note:**

> This was written as a gift to @Le-mooon to go with their amazing Hawke x Anders painting, gifted from the wonderful @Tessa1972 . Both of whom can be found on Tumblr. You can find me there as @marquis1305


End file.
